Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-02
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1887
The Excursion Season.

The Excursion Season.
South California is region SO rich
and varied in its resources that the
term harvest-time is inapplicable to it
unless there is some limitation or spe-
cification as to what particular harvest
is meant. Elsewhere when harvest
time is named all understand that the
season embracing July, August and
September is referred to by the term,
as during those months hay, grain
and corn are gathered into the gar
ners. Any other crop than these is OF
40 insignificant character as not to
be mentioned. But with those in
South California who in any branch
uphold the profession of
"The grand old gardener"
All the year is harvest time,
lust as the sacred writings Of
many races represent it to have been
with with their prototype referred to by
the poet in the line above. As Sep
tember sets in with us here the hay
and grain are long since harvested the
deciduous fruit trees have been
stripped Of their loads; and now the
corn stands almost ready for the
shucker, and the grapes hang in pur-
pie and golden punches ready for the
crushers and the wine watts. These
rich treasures shall have scarcely been
all taken care of when the orange
crop will demand the attention of the
orchardists in all sections of the south
half of California. Wine grapes
alone will put money in the purses OF
our vignerons to the tune OF about three
quarters OF a million dollars, considering
only the profits of the first instance to
the growers, and taking into purview
only the one county Of Los Angeles.
For raisins and shipping purposes
there will he another very large sum
to add to this estimate. The orange
crop will put into the pockets OF the
growers more than round million OF
dollars.
The above estimates are of de-
cidedly happy character and worthy
of all the emphasis laid upon them by
those in interest. But we are all
greatly prone to overlook one of the
best harvests Of this section, and one
entirely peculiar to it. In all the
lands the soil of the earth
is looked to for profitable
return, and along seacoasts the seas
are usually plowed with great toll and
risk to gather from their depths har-
vests in the shape of the finny tribes.
But it remains for South California
alone to furnish from the simple ben
ediction of her matchless skies, and
that without plowing or sowing, or
the trouble of reaping, perhaps the
richest harvest ever garnered by any
people Of any time. Such is the fact,
or not. With these Sep
tember days the first fruits of this har-
vest begin to reach us. Clean
ings have been coming to
hand all summer and spring,
and in an abundance by no
means to be despised. In afew weeks
from now the fruitful crop will be in
it's prime, and next May and June
the aftermath will be rich perqui-
site not to be overlooked.
The excursion season is to all
interested in this section a most
important factor in our development.
The stream began years ago in a very
small volume; year by year it has
been added to until now it runs at
fioodtide, or will do so in a month
from now. And the stream is Pac-
tolean one in all its elements.
Various estimates are now made by
railroad people as to how many tour
lists will come to California
this coming season. The figures
vacilIate around 10000. These are
by no means all tourists, nor are they
all invalids. 1t may be said they con-
stitute the harvest borne for us by the
influence Of our sunny skies, and with
out the ordinary tolls preceding or
accompanying harvest time. These
multitudes come here directly because
of our matchless climate. The phe-
no,nenal profits attending upon agri-
culture hcre-using the term in its
broadest sense-have their proper
influence; but outside OF that, If
these profits were no greater
than in Minnesota or Dakota,
Ill the same the people would
flock here to dwell beneath our
sunny skies and in the health-giving
Influences of our sea and mountain